Description

Item title reads: "Birmingham air pageant
Air Marshal Sir Sefton Brancker, the Lord Major and huge crowds at greatest aerial display out-side London in the world."

Castle Bromwich, Birmingham, West Midlands

A number of biplanes are lined up on an airfield, the camera pans to show a long line of aeroplanes with crews standing beside them. C/U of Air Marshall and others chatting. Passengers are seen boarding a large aircraft. C/U of a man and a woman in the doorway at the side. The large aircraft taxis away and takes off.
Action shot of a mock battle which begins with a plane in the air, some way off with smoke pouring from it. Aircraft swoop low over the airfield. Planes fly high above. A mock castle is attacked with bombs, causing large explosions and clouds of smoke. The castle is hit and disappears in a clouds of smoke.

10 telling images selected from British Pathé's extensive WWI footage. 'The war to end all wars' was a war without parallel: over 70 million military personnel were involved and over 17 million people died.